Supervisors want answers from airport authority, city officials as to propety disposal.

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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously
approved a motion by Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Don Knabe on Tuesday
that directed the County’s Chief Executive Officer to formally request that Los
Angeles World Airports, the Airport Commission, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa explain their plans for the 17,000 acres of undeveloped property
the City acquired 40 years ago through eminent domain for an airport.

On December 7, United Airlines ceased its operations from
the desert airport, becoming the eighth airline to leave the property that some
had hoped would be an international hub, drawing passengers and commerce to the
area.

“This vital property is not being utilized as the City of Los
Angeles promised when it took private property through
eminent domain,” said Antonovich.  “It is time to build the airport or
return it to the original property owners.”  

“For four decades, this land has been sitting vacant, not
being used for the development of a critically-needed regional commercial
airport, which was the intended use of this land,” said Knabe. “Today’s action
will hopefully get us some answers about how this vital facility will be used
for truly regionalizing commercial air traffic.”

In the 1960s, the Los Angeles City Airport Commission
acquired Ontario Airport
, the 17,000-acre Palmdale airport site, and later contracted with the United
States Air Force for Palmdale’s Plant 42’s runway and air terminal, for a regional
airport network to meet future population needs.  To date, the City’s Los
Angeles World Airports Department has failed to develop this property.